Funds have been earmarked for the Library’s new Marksbury Family Branch

Lexington, Kentucky (April 20, 2023) – The Lexington Public Library today announced a $100,000 gift from Keeneland to the Library Foundation’s capital campaign for the new Marksbury Family Branch to open on Versailles Road late this year.

The Library broke ground last August on the new branch which will replace the former Village Branch and provide more educational and civic resources for the neighborhoods it serves. The new branch willreflect the community’s vision for a state-of-the-art community hub, one that offers robust resources and a myriad of program and service offerings.

“Our support of the Lexington Public Library Foundation continues Keeneland’s founding mission to enhance the quality of life in our community,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “In this case, the Marksbury Family Branch will positively impact a neighborhood where many horse industry workers and their families live. We are thrilled to have a resource nearby for these families to take advantage of important educational opportunities.”

In recognition of their generous donation, the Library will name a 16-seat meeting room on the first floor of the Marksbury Family Branch in Keeneland’s honor. The new branch will stay intimately connected with its neighborhood, which is among Lexington’s most diverse areas. The Village Branch pioneered bilingual library services in Lexington, and the new facility will expand resources available to Lexington’s Latinx, immigrant, and refugee communities.

“The new Marksbury Family Branch will reflect the community it serves,” said Lexington Public Library Executive Director Heather Dieffenbach. “Throughout the planning process, the Library worked closely with residents and stakeholders to ensure this new, state-of-the-art branch, would accommodate the needs of the children, families, and individuals who will be using the facility on a daily basis.”

The new two-story facility will replace the former Village Branch with nearly triple the amount of space available for library services. The new building will include community and study rooms, a dedicated classroom, makerspace, outdoor reading area, expanded adult and children’s areas, and a drive-thru window where customers can pick up and return borrowed materials. The Library estimates that it will serve approximately 1 million visitors per year at this location. The Library Foundation has committed to raising $5.3 million in support of this $18 million project through a public-private partnership.

LPL began the development of a master plan in late 2018 to determine the vision and need for library space and facilities, and to provide a framework and guide for future improvements and growth.

The planning process was highly participatory, striving to include as many voices as possible in thedevelopment of the plan. During the year-long planning process, more than 2,400 library staff,

stakeholders, and community members engaged in the conversation about the vision for library facilitiesin Lexington-Fayette County. Overwhelmingly, the community supported a reimaging and

expansion of this site as the future of the Lexington Public Library.

“It’s been exciting for Keeneland to have a hand in making the Marksbury Family Branch a reality,” Keeneland Senior Director of Operations and Community Relations Kara Heissenbuttel said. “As a state-of- the-art space, this facility offers tremendous potential to both welcome visitors to Lexington and to serve people of all backgrounds.”

Follow the Library Foundation on Facebook at @lexingtonpubliclibraryfoundation or visit lexpublib.org/foundation.

For more information about the Lexington Public Library and their partners, please visit lexpublib.organd their social media pages @lexpublib.

Marksbury Family Branch Media Kit: Marksbury Groundbreaking Media Kit